Beside You
by yururin
Summary: The story of Megumi and Yahiro after the events of S.A.. As the two of them mature, so does their relationship - how they learn to be braver and be honest about their feelings. Most importantly, to cherish the importance of being beside one another. Enjoy! I am ever thankful for your reviews! :)
1. The Weakling and Words

**Disclaimers:** S.A. belongs to Minami Maki-sensei~ not yururin of course =)

**Beside You. キミのトナリ。**

**「零」 ****The Weakling and Words. ****ヨワムシとコトバ**

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_"I...!"_

_There are words that I want to say it to him  
but these are words that I'm very afraid of._

_I've said it a lot of times._

_Sometimes I really want to know.  
who is the real weakling among us?_

The cloudy skies loomed as Megumi headed out to the porch at her house, waiting for her chauffeur to take her to the concert hall. The dark grays that covered the entire piece of the sky only meant that rain was approaching.

"It was pouring and I don't feel like turning up."

"I did not promise that I would turn up right?"  
These are words that _he_ would say if the promise was broken.

Megumi had given _him_ a front row seat for today's performance. She may not be the star today, but she had wanted him to beside her, like how they had once watched a recital before. The weather might be a determining factor for his possible absence later. As she observed how the black birds were flapping their wings twice as fast to get home quickly, Megumi let out a sigh.

Jun walked beside the lilac-colored songbird and peeked his head over her shoulder.

"Megumi, are you okay?" He asked concernedly.

"Ah, I'm fine. Let's go!" Megumi waved her horizontal notepad in front of Jun and walked briskly to the now-stationary black car.

"Wha...What are you doing, Megumi! " Jun appeared shocked when Megumi tugged his left arm, for it had momentarily reminded himself of Sakura.

"Nothing. I just felt like doing it all of a sudden, " Megumi stuck out her tongue and placed the notepad above her head.

"You are acting weird today, Megumi, " Jun remarked as the twins stepped into the car.

_I am trying very hard every day.  
I used to think that it is because of the friends around me, that I am trying so hard.  
Things are a little different now._

_I have changed a little, because of you._

Megumi had always loved car rides where the sceneries switch quickly every time the vehicle accelerates. The passerbys on the streets would appear to look as if they were moving in slow motion. Yet, she was not even placing her head by the window today. Megumi was recalling how she had invited _him_ to the concert.

"Ah, I saw that," _His_ eyes would shift lazily to the piece of paper sticking out of Megumi's front pocket.

"It... It's nothing actually! " Megumi shook her head and attempted to run off. It had been a mistake to extend the invitation to _him_ in the first place. He may have been the first one on her list, but she had immediately thought of inviting Ryuu. If it was not due to the fact that he was away with Finn on a summer vacation, Megumi knew Ryuu would definitely accept the offer.

Megumi turned her back towards that guy and ran as fast as she could. She was fully aware of the fact that she was not good with sports, that her running speed was ranked the last amongst every one in the S.A.; but she wanted to test out something she had once seen in a drama serial.

_Will he chase after me and grab my hand and scream a chunk of incoherent things?_

_….No._

That guy was too quick in his reflexes.  
All he did was to take a step forward and reached out for her collar.

"If it's nothing, then why are you running away?"

"I...!" Megumi protested.

"And...How many times must I remind you not to speak? Where is that board I gave you?!" Megumi had made _him_ angry again, for the umpteenth time.

The erasable magnetic board was lying on the floor with her school bag. _He _gave a frustrated loud sigh and walked back to pick up the board before passing it to Megumi.

"Write," _He _ordered, like a very bad-tempered haughty prince.

Megumi's fingers trembled as she wrote out the first word "Will..."

_I did not want things to happen like this.  
I wanted to ask you with a keen look on my face, and I wanted to see you smile when you accept the ticket.  
I...did not want to make you angry._

"Will...you..." Megumi's tears were falling on the white-colored board as her pen began to doodle the second word.

The guy gave out a soft gasp upon the sight of her tears and coughed loudly.

"I will. Just hand it over quickly!"

Megumi took a peek upwards and caught sight of him covering a part of his face with his right hand; his left hand was outstretched, signaling for her to hand over the ticket. Megumi brightened up a little and pulled out for the pink ticket. As he ran his eyes over the lines of words printed on the ticket, he took a glance at Megumi.

"I might not be able to make it actually," He just had to announce something drastic after performing something nice on her.

"I'll wait for you before we enter the venue." Megumi gathered all her courage to draw the full stop of the sentence before she showed _him._

"You don't have to. I might not turn up, so you head in first," He opened up his branded wallet and slotted the ticket behind the notes.

_The previous time I did a similar thing, he made a promise.  
That he will attend it with me, that's why we ended up watching the recital together.  
This time... he did not say anything and shattered the massive amounts of hope I held it with me._

_Naturally, I would assume he would not attend at all._

_After all, I had initially known him as a very bad person._

_Sometimes, when I lose too much hope, I stop yearning for more.  
These are the times __he would step in and do something very insignificant,  
I will feel hopeful all over again, for no specific sane reason._

"I'll send you home," He bent down and picked up the bag lying on floor.

Megumi scribbled "It's okay." hurriedly on the board and flashed it to _him._

" You could have just smiled politely back. No matter what you say, I would take it as a yes anyway," He chuckled as he placed my stuff in the back seat.

_I looked away and pouted my lips in annoyance.  
Why should I smile to a irritating fellow like you?_

_All the times I spent with you, I had experienced negative emotions.  
Anger, Sorrow and now...disappointment.  
That's right, if I had not felt this way about you,_

_I would have been a little happier than the way I am right now._

A loud buzz could be heard throughout the car – it was Megumi's mobile phone. Megumi unbuckled her bag and flipped the phone open, only to see the flashing words on the display screen – Hanazono Hikari.

"Hai," Megumi spoke softly to acknowledge the caller that she was talking to the right person. More often than not, telephone conversations with Megumi required quite a lot of challenge for she hardly replied back.

"It's Hikari! Takishima and I have reached! We'll be waiting in the lobby because it's cooler in there! Akira and Tadashi said that they would be arriving in 15 minutes!"

_Akira._

Ever since I realised my feelings for _him_, I would be extremely concerned whenever the two of them were placed in the same situation. It's funny that I begin to mention her name in the same manner he would whenever Hikari invites him over for a S.A event. Even when things have patched up for the both of them, Akira still keeps a distance because she has Tadashi with her now.

If he appears today, I do not want him to feel troubled by it too.

I passed the phone over to Jun.

"Ah~ okay! I think we are reaching after this set of traffic lights. Really? Un, okay. Count me in. See ya guys after the bend," Jun replied with a smile and returned the phone.

Feeling nervous about _his_ still-possible arrival, Megumi clutched her drawing block as she walked out of the car. The first thing she heard was Hikari's energetic greeting.

"Megumi!! You know... something has happened!" Hikari's raven long hair swung hardly as she clutched Megumi's arms nervously.

"Where are the rest?" Megumi asked with her board held up.

"You see, the thing is, our seats have been shifted to the box seats by the side. Only two people are allowed in each room. Jun is seating with Sakura, Akira with Tadashi and I'm seating with Takishima, due to the seat number allocations. So...your pair ticket seat is with...?"

"I lost it," Megumi lied with the words she scribbled rapidly.

_He's not coming anyway._

"You can seat with me yo, Megumi, " Hikari gave the petite girl a wink.

"What about Kei?" Megumi asked with her large round faint purplish irises.

"Ah~ he can sit alone. I'm sure he's fine with that, if it's Megumi, " Hikari gave Megumi a resounding pat on her back.

"I can't do that, Hikari. You should spend the evening with Kei because he really wants you to. I'm okay being alone in the room. It's the performance that I should be focusing on right," Megumi smiled forcefully and pushed Hikari into the room where Kei was smirking by the glass screen.

_I'm not a weak person.  
These are times I should prove to myself that I can be strong too._

Megumi sat down on her seat and sighed. She began to study the musical pamphlet that she was given at the entrance. The musical that the S.A was invited to was a renowned local rendition of Gabrielle Chanel. It described Chanel's life from birth; how she got her nickname Coco; how she fell in and out of love and the inner struggles she had held before she emerged as one of the world's most famous brand label.

_Like her, I can be strong too._

The lights were completely out after 15 minutes of waiting. Megumi did not like the feeling of being left all alone in the quiet room, with an empty seat beside her. That seat was supposed to be filled up by someone who had broken her promise.

_Yahiro...  
Why am I mentioning your name all of a sudden?_

As Megumi leaned forward to get a better sight of the stage, she felt that there were common traits between Chanel and her. Both of them were stubborn when it came to love issues, in a good way. The actress was a professional; she could pass off Chanel at different stages of her life via her movements and voice tones. Megumi would smile when Arthur, the love of Chanel's life, appeared and encouraged her to continue with her hat business.

_I had a similar experience too, Chanel-san._

Megumi leaned back to her seat as the entire stage went pitch black in order to change the backdrop and settings. She felt something hard pressing the surface of her right shoulder. Megumi froze in horror. There was nothing she could do because she could not see a thing. She was not even able to see the floor in order to make her escape. Megumi gasped softly and stood up, only to realize that something was alive and it had a hand which pulled her back to her seat.

"It's me," A familiar nonchalant voice rang into Megumi's ears.

_Simple words like this could garner enough light to brighten the entire world._

"I thought you weren't coming," Megumi reached out blindly, only to poke the forehead of the man. It was dripping wet.

"I did not say I was not coming at all," Somehow that voice sounded a little breathless.

"Yahiro?" Megumi called out as the lights began to come back onto the stage. The young man seated beside Megumi was completely soaked and he was panting away.

"Ah, I'm just feeling a little wet that's all," Yahiro gazed out into the stage and fanned himself dry with the pamphlet.

_It rained, didn't it._

_You ran all the way here, didn't you._

Megumi broke out into a soft laughter.  
"What are you laughing at? It's not even a funny scene, " Yahiro tried to catch up with whatever he had missed in the beginning.

_There are words that I always feared to tell him.  
The replies that he gives can be rather depressing at times.  
I refuse to accept; I began to escape from it._

_And because of that, I have become a weakling._

_Not today. _

"You are not being honest, Yahiro," Megumi wiped away the raindrops with her handkerchief.

"About?" The haughty prince looked up and approached closer to Megumi.

"Yourself," Megumi fixed her eyes onto him.

_I'm definitely strong enough to handle the impact that comes along with it.  
I'm quite sure about that._

"Whatever," Yahiro looked away this time.

_Replies like this can be quite depressing at times._

All of a sudden, Yahiro turned towards Megumi once more and grabbed her right wrist.  
"If I get honest like this, will you be able to handle it?" He looked at the frail girl with a serious expression on his face.

"...Maybe," Megumi waved the page on her drawing block she had written a few days back.

It was Yahiro's turn this time to laugh. He always enjoyed teasing the girl sitting beside him right now. She would always surprise him from time to time with a reply he would never expect.

_I'm not afraid of his replies anymore, because..._

_  
_"I'll wait," Megumi breathed out the words meekly.

_I really want you to know how I feel.  
Even if I am unable to express it perfectly with words.  
I'll try._

"I'll try, okay?" Yahiro focused on the stage once more.  
Megumi nodded her head and smiled for him once more.

_We are both trying very hard._

_At the end of the day, we won't feel tired about it at all.  
__I just find myself liking this guy beside me even more._

_And when I realize I do, I just get stronger every day._

つづく_  
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どーもです! (Apologies for the terrible synopsis ha)  
I'm wondering if anyone would read this fanfic, so assuming there is someone..  
Thank you for reading and...  
Hello! This is my first SA fanfic~  
I created an account like a few days ago..you can say that I'm pretty new with this.  
I'm still a bit shaky about everything! o_o''

**Translation Notes.**  
Hai - the way Japanese usually answer the phone with XDD  
Un - Japanese for a tone of agreement; something like "Yep~" or "Okay"  
Yo - A more casual tone to affirm the previous mentioned sentence; if you watch S.A.'s anime, Hikari says it sometimes.  
Chanel-san - San is like "Miss" , "Mr."; used when addressing a person they are not very familiar with/ or hold them with high respect.

This chapter is just a prologue.  
I have no idea how the next chapter will turn out because I'm still working on it~  
I can say each chapter are not linked to one another XDDD  
If they are.. it would be mentioned somewhere in the title~

Keep reading to find out! =3  
I'll work hard!

xoxo  
ゆる凛


	2. Limitedly Yours

**Beside You. キミのトナリ。**

**「一」　キミ限定。 ****Limited-ly Yours.**

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_Megumi, you don't have to force yourself to like me.  
I can see that you are reluctant.  
Look, I'm making you cry again._

_It's okay, Megumi._

_You don't have to explain._

_I know._

The musical ended with a roaring standing ovation. Megumi was waving and jumping daintily at the stage cast with her white peep-toed heels. Her partner for the show, Yahiro, merely peeked his neck out a little.

"That's Chanel-san! " Megumi grabbed Yahiro's hand and pulled him near to the glass screen with both hands.

_Was she planning all along to grab my hand?  
_"Wh...where?" Yahiro stuttered the words out anxiously.

"There she is!" Megumi tried to convey her intended message by pointing her finger towards the lady in the center. Her bony fingers were still grabbing Yahiro's arm.

"Beautiful, isn't she?"

Megumi gazed in awe as the lead actress stepped forward to take a bow in a her white evening dress.

Yahiro was not even saying anything. He seemed to be focusing more on the girl's side profile and the fact that her fingers were still on his wrist.

"Beautiful, right?" Megumi repeated her sentence softly. All she wanted was to see was a nod, or hear words of agreement from her partner.

"A..Ahh..yea, she's beautiful," Yahiro replied reflexively.

"Yahiro?" Megumi asked concernedly. There was something that was bothering her partner tonight.

"Stop talking," Yahiro shifted his eye contact onto the cast members, hoping that Megumi did not catch what he was doing earlier.

_Stop talking, Megumi.  
Your words, your action and that smile of yours.  
They are making you look prettier than usual._

Yahiro stood up and brushed away white dust specks on his knees.

"Stay here, Megumi," Yahiro pushed down the door handle and walked out.

_I've hurt people with the words I said._

_I'm not going to do that today._

"You will come back right?" Megumi lifted her doodle board.

Yahiro nodded and ran out. He used up almost every remaining ounces of his stamina and rushed down the stairs to the first floor. He shook the shoulders of the ushers and demanded a reply from their bewildered expressions. There was not even time for the usher to finish his sentence – Yahiro zoomed past the hallway and opened the black door. He walked briskly across the corridors of white doors and read every single label affixed by the side. When he found the door he was looking for, he took a deep breath and knocked the door.

"Please enter," the voice beyond the door responded.

Megumi sat quietly on the cushioned seat, her fingers outstretched on her white skirt with Russian lace at the ends. She began to take up the dangling magnetic pen and sketched a landscape picture of herself and a very grumpy man with a crown on his head. Megumi began to draw sweat drops around the man, just like how her partner looked like when he entered the room. She smiled at her sketch when an energetic voice broke the silence.

"Yo! Megumi! How was the show?" Hikari winked. Kei was standing beside her, as always.

Megumi found it hard to erase the sketch on her magnetic board; she used her handkerchief and pretended to wipe the corner of her eyes and nodded her head.

"It was so touching that you cried?" Kei deciphered the charade game correctly.

"You enjoyed the show too? That's great!" Hikari smiled cheerfully.

"You can't use the word "too", Hikari. Remember, you asked me so many questions throughout the second act," Kei shrugged his shoulders. Hikari protested loudly that it was normal because there were French dialogues in between. The squabbles would only reveal more about their inseparable relationship. Kei would only smile in that manner to Hikari.

"Ah! Speaking of which, where is..." Hikari was stopped by Kei, who covered her mouth with his right palm.

"The goods counter is over there. Didn't you say the clear folders were pretty? Let's go there and have a look," Kei suggested to Hikari.

"A..Ah! That's right! I was about to ask you if you had seen the booth where the goods were sold! Megumi..." Hikari paused at the sentence.

"I want to take a longer look at the stage," Kei translated Megumi's actions as she pointed to the red curtains.

"Un! We'll see one another at the lobby then! Remember, we have a SA dinner later!" Hikari waved to Megumi. Kei smirked and held Hikari's right wrist, only to face with Hikari's retaliation.

"See you later, Megumi" He mouthed out the words silently as Hikari's protests filled the entire corridor.

Megumi waved at the couple awkwardly and closed the door. She moved closer to the glass screen and observed how the audience were heading towards the exit. The audiences were mostly ladies, probably due to the fact that the lead actress was portraying an ideal character that women would want to become. She began humming the love song that was sung during the musical and hugged the magnet board.

The door swung open before Megumi reached the chorus of the love song. Yahiro looked like time had reversed back to the point he first met her today – wet, panting coupled with unkempt hair.

"For you," The young man lifted his right arm above the seat so that the lady could have a better view of what he was holding – the musical pamphlet that he was browsing earlier.

"I have it yo," Megumi was not using her magnet board; she held up her own copy of the pamphlet and showed it to Yahiro.

"I said this is for you. I don't need it," Yahiro pushed the pamphlet to Megumi. He walked over to the seat and slumped his body on it.

Megumi held two copies of the pamphlet with a very puzzled look on her face. She stood beside Yahiro without saying a word.

"What are you doing standing there? Read what's inside," Yahiro looked up at the girl.

Megumi opened the cover slowly. The contents page that was supposed to be ivory in color - now filled with handwritten notes in black ink.　At the classic header that wrote 'Contents', a elegantly cursive handwriting that greeted "For Megumi-chan only! - Gabrielle Chanel "

The actress wrote out the lyrics of the love song Megumi was humming previously and included footnotes on how to bring out the character's emotions in the song.

At the last page of the pamphlet, there was a handwritten note for Megumi.

"

For Megumi,

I'm really glad you enjoyed the show so much!

You must have wondered how this book came about right?

A guy requested and insisted that I should sign on the pamphlet, and write out the lyrics of the song I sang during the second act. As I saw how frantic he looked, I was thinking "That girl must mean a lot to him!" and decided to write this note without him knowing.

"

Megumi's tears were welling in her eyes. She had never imagined what it would feel like to have a guy do such things for her. Ryuu was the closest to this kind of feeling; but Megumi decided that this time it was a lot different. Megumi felt like as if her chest was heating up, her eyes scrolled to the last line.

"Cherish him okay? Like how Chanel always did," The note ended with the actress's signature, followed by a smiley face.

Megumi could not hold it back anymore. She hugged the book close to her, as if protecting it dearly while her tears fell down her cheeks.

"Oi! Why are you crying?!" Yahiro's startled tone broke the silence.

"Where's the board?" He stood up and started looking for the magnetic board. Megumi reached for the board before Yahiro could snatch it. She shook her head profusely.

_I can't even show her with my actions._

_Just when I thought she would receive the gift with a smile on her face..._

"You don't want to talk to me?" Yahiro probed the sobbing girl, only to see her shake her head once more.

"Then write," He pointed to the board Megumi was now holding onto. Megumi shook her head again.

_What is it that you want, Megumi?_

_I..._

_I just want to try and do something that you like._

_Megumi doesn't really like me, right?  
Look, I'm always making you cry._

_I'm not a good person after all._

"Ano!" Megumi squealed in her high-pitched voice.

_It's okay, Megumi.  
You don't have to explain it out so clearly to me.  
I know and I'm completely okay about it._

"Thank you," She knew Yahiro would be unhappy if she spoke out, so she mouthed the words out.

"Megumi?" Yahiro was shocked at the sudden movement.

Megumi repeated what she had said earlier. _Arigatou._

Yahiro was completely puzzled. He had not expected her to thank him for he had thought that Megumi was hurt because of what he had done – he was used to making girls cry that when someone thanks him, he finds it a little awkward.

"I thought you disliked what I was doing," Yahiro responded and observed how Megumi revealed what was on the magnetic board.

"Yahiro" she said as she pointed to the grumpy prince character on the board.

"So I'm such a character in your heart," Yahiro sighed and studied the sketch. It was not long before he noticed the girl standing beside the prince.

"Then who is this girl?" Yahiro questioned and approached closer to Megumi.

"A..." Megumi had wanted to say _Akira._

"No, it's not Akira, Megumi," Yahiro shook his head slightly and smirked.

"Who?" Megumi mouthed the words softly.

"Well... she's Saiga Yahiro-exclusive. You know her too," Yahiro smiled.

Megumi, no longer reluctant about the sketch, erased the board frantically and scribbled.  
"Finn? You can't like her! She's Ryuu's girlfriend!"

"Nope. Not her," Yahiro crossed his arms.

_She's finally back to her usual self._

Yahiro was laughing away as Megumi listed out the girl-friends that she could think of. The sight of her getting so anxious to know who that mystery girl was seemed like an entertainment source for him.

"There's no one I can think of already," Megumi sighed out and drooped her head. Yahiro has someone in mind and he does not want to tell her.

"How could there be none?" Yahiro brushed away Megumi's fringe and gave her a peck on the forehead.

Megumi dropped the board and the book almost instantaneously.  
"I.. I.. !!" Megumi was breathless for no reason as she looked up at the guy.

_I sort of understand a little.  
It does not matter, whether she likes or dislikes me._

_As long the feelings I have remain the way it is,　things won't change._

"Shall we go? I'm sure the rest are waiting for us," Yahiro took a glance at the door.

Megumi picked up her board and wrote meekly.

"Yahiro, too. Yahiro is limited edition," She peeked shyly as she lifted the board.  
Yahiro nodded his head with a slight twist on his lips and rubbed away Megumi's tears.

"Let's go,"

_Let's go, Megumi.  
Out there where everyone can see you.  
That when they ask about you,_

_I won't deny that you are special._

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どーもです!  
I was just able to take out time to write out this chapter X.X~~~  
Thank you for the reviews!! m(_ _)m I really feel encouraged after reading them, thank you!

**Translation Notes.**  
Arigatou - Thank you. XDD

Argh I made the chapters link T__To  
I still have no idea about the next chapter; it should be about the dinner! XDD

Till then!!

xoxo  
ゆる凛


	3. The Game That Was Different

**Beside You. キミのトナリ。**

**「二」 ****The Game That was Different**** いつもと違ったゲーム**

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_Between the both of us, the best way to convey our feelings would be...to play games._

Yahiro took a glance at the ajar door before he turned towards Megumi.  
"Let's go," He spoke in a nonchalant manner.

"Hmm?" Megumi tilted her head, clueless about what was awaiting ahead.

"Ah. Before we do that, let's play a game, shall we?" Yahiro placed his finger in front of his nose.

"A game?" Megumi flashed the board.

_Yahiro loves playing games._

"Are you in, Megumi?" Yahiro bent his body a little forward, with his left hand inside his pocket

_He also knows that I'll always say yes, no matter what rules he sets._

"I'm in," Megumi blushed after she finished writing. Yahiro smirked again.

_The reason is simple._

"The rules are..." Yahiro pointed up at the ceiling as he began speaking.

_You'll need someone to pass the ball you've flung over back to you._

"You have to listen to Saiga Yahiro for one whole day,"

_So...Yahiro?_

"Okay," Megumi nodded her head.

_Let me be the one to pass it back to you._

Yahiro was smiling at how things are going so smoothly right now. Almost everything was going as planned - The sudden change of seating arrangements was pre-discussed with everyone in SA, except Megumi and Jun. Hikari was supposed to inform Jun last because he has the highest possibility to blurt out to Megumi. Yahiro had business meetings at Hong Kong and was supposed to be able to reach only when the musical ends_ – _he ended up making it for the second act – that would only mean being able to spend more time with Megumi.

His plan would only commence now.

"Round one. Megumi has to hold Saiga Yahiro's hand," Yahiro waved his right hand.

_Yahiro would say "It's just a game. There's no need to get serious."  
That's right. It's just a game._

_Yahiro wants to hold my hand because it's just a rule he sets.  
No feelings are involved._

Megumi took a deep breath and walked forward. She was carrying two musical pamphlets, a satin pouch and her magnetic pulled his left hand out of the pocket and reached out, his head slightly lowered.

"Your.. your stuff. Give them to me," Yahiro stuttered.

Megumi was not too sure what were the items she wanted to hand over. The pamphlets were exclusive; the magnetic board was her voice box; the bag has her necessities. She stood there weighing the importance of each item, with a flustered look on her face.

Yahiro tried to make the decision for her, "I can take the pamphlets and the bag."

Megumi wrote a question mark on the board.

"You need this to speak isn't it? If people can't get through on your mobile phone, they'll call me. I'm sure there would be someone who can figure out this," Yahiro spoke as if it was a matter of fact.

_I felt a little happy hearing that from you.  
It felt like a confession.  
That if someone were to call you just to look for me,  
it means, we are always next to one another._

Megumi thanked Yahiro and placed the magnetic pen back at the holder, who went back to his usual teasing self.

"Round one, Megumi," Yahiro walked over to Megumi's left.

_I've held hands with Jun before.  
I've held hands with Ryuu before._

_Surely, Yahiro's would be the same too._

Megumi's fingers touched the tip of Yahiro's and retreated reflexively. It was a feeling she had not experienced before – a soft hidden static spark that hurt on first touch. Yahiro grabbed the shaking hand and yanked Megumi closer by his side. He then positioned Megumi's palm in such a way it was on top of his and smiled.

"Your fingers are so short compared to mine," Yahiro commented as his fingers sank into the gaps of Megumi's fingers, the intensity of the sparks increased.

Megumi's shoulders trembled for a slight second – she had never imagined holding hands with Yahiro would be something to get so nervous over. Her mind was a complete blank. This was her first time getting this close to Yahiro this year.

_Yahiro was different._

"So Megumi belongs to the sensitive type?" He teased the petite songbird again.

"Heh!?" Megumi was not listening. Her head was now determining the defining factor that made holding hands with Yahiro different. She kept her head looking at the carpeted flooring since Yahiro touched her fingers, her cheeks were now glowing in pink.

_I don't know what the difference was._

"Let's go," Yahiro pretended to look forward, making sure Megumi had not realised that he was looking at her with the corner of his eyes.

"A...Ah! Okay," Megumi was still in a daze.

Yahiro took a few steps forward and stopped.  
"Are you really okay?" Yahiro shook Megumi's arm while his fingers were still locked onto hers. Megumi nodded her head.

_I think I have to let Yahiro know what is wrong._

Megumi placed the board on the floor and began writing out the first word "I" with her other hand still holding onto Yahiro's.

"It's okay, Megumi. You can let go of this hand if you want to write something," Yahiro squatted down.

_I've never had this feeling before.  
I feel like..._

_No! It can't be._

_Why... why am I feeling this way?_

"I am not letting go," Megumi looked up with her cheeks burning hot.

Yahiro's eyes stared hard at the board, making sure he was not misreading what Megumi had just written. He had not realised that he was feeling the same way too, not until the girl pointed out.

"A...Ah yeah, me too,"Yahiro reached out his other hand and patted Megumi's forehead.

_Yahiro, this is just one of your many pranks right?  
Look at the way you paused before you gave me the reply.  
It was so unnatural._

"Are you really okay?" Yahiro noticed Megumi was looking a bit more tensed up than usual.

Megumi gave him an OK sign as she slided the knob on her magnetic board. As Yahiro's long fingers took her down the flight of stairs, Megumi glanced at her reflection from the board first, then at the fair-skinned hand in front of her.

_It's different._

_When the distance between us gets too great,  
the hand stops pulling and closes the gap._

_It would surround yours loosely, not treating you seriously at all.  
Just when you are about to think that it's going to break free,  
the same hand would be holding you tightly._

_The owner is quite an annoying person._

_Yet, I really want to continue holding onto his hand._

"Y...Yahiro!?" The Special A members and Sakura shouted out in unison upon seeing the two of them, feigning ignorance.

Megumi, unable to write on her board, tried to use sign language instead.  
"I...in..vited...Yahiro," Jun deciphered word for word.

"It's okay, we all know," Akira patted Megumi's head.

"So...Yahiro," Kei looked up.

"Where are you taking Megumi today?" Hikari finished the question.

_Yahiro...is taking me somewhere today?_

"I...!!" Yahiro panicked for a while.  
"Why should I even tell you guys..." He looked towards his right, his cheeks flushed.

Megumi was looking lost than ever. She had totally no idea what was going on.

"You really forgot about today, Megumi?" Jun asked his sister with his large round eyes.

"It's Valentine's Day!" Sakura exclaimed excitedly as she snuggled into Jun's right arm.

_Valentine's Day falls on the 14th of February.  
14th of February happens to be..._

"For it's Valentine's Day, we shall hang around this area In individual pairs until 8pm!" Sakura announced the plan for today – she was too excited to be able spend more private time with Jun. The meeting time was scheduled at 8pm so that Ryuu and Finn were given ample time to travel down to the hotel from the airport.

"We'll go first! Let's visit the aquarium, Akira!" Tadashi ran out with Akira in his left hand.

"See you later, Megumi!" Akira waved gently at the shocked girl and started yelling away at Tadashi as soon as the doors were shut.

_As each couple made their departure from the musical hall,  
I began to realise the two of us were unlike the pairings that walked out of that door._

_They know, for sure, that mutual feelings exist.  
For us, it was always a question mark._

"They left," Yahiro finally commented after keeping silent all this while.  
Megumi looked up, still unable to accept the sudden change of plans.

"Round two, Megumi," Yahiro pointed out.

"You have to buy Saiga Yahiro a box of chocolates," He blushed as he completed his sentence. He had never done this before and probably guessed that the girl he was speaking to would reject this offer.

"Are you going to do it?" The demanding guy asked once more.

_Is he trying to ask me to spend Valentine's Day with him?  
What a weird guy._

Megumi nodded her head and walked out of the door first, Yahiro closely following behind.

As the cold winter winds blew across her pale cheeks, she took a deep breath.

_Even with the chilly winds, my hand was warmed by yours.  
For some reason, our fingers were cold; but the palms weren't._

_I'm not letting go, Yahiro._

_It's my turn to play the game._

_I won't let you off so easily this time._

_

* * *

_どーもです!  
apologies! the alignment keeps running, so i have to keep re-editing.  
I'm back even when I'm not supposed to be writing X.X~  
This is like a Chapter 2 1/2 --

I'll write it up when I'm done with the papers!  
who knows, I might not even resist until that date =))

Thank you for the reviews!  
They are really keeping this story going! XDD

I hope by now, you can figure out that the titles actually tell you which side the characters are telling their stories from XDDD

Look out for Chapter 3!  
(i'm not good with writer's notes too, apparently ↓↓)

xoxo  
ゆる凛


	4. What Flavor Is It Today?

**Beside You. キミのトナリ。**

**「三」 今日はどんな味なの？ ****What Flavour Is It Today?

* * *

**

_Chocolates have special flavours.  
What flavour is it today?_

The streets were unusually crowded with high-school girls forming queues at gift stores. Gentle and muffled laughter filled the air as the girls waited patiently to purchase their gifts for their special someone. Couples roamed round the streets with blissful expressions on their faces – some received brightly colored flowers, while others had really huge teddy bears.

_Ah, it's Valentine's Day today._

On the pale colored pavement, there was a pair that stood out from the usual couples – neither of them had presents, nor were there flowers. To make things even more peculiar, one looked a tad frustrated while the other was nervous. While the surrounding atmosphere was filled with discussions on handmade presents and chocolates, the guy decided to break the ice with a simple yet foolishly mundane question.

"Megumi...," Yahiro looked up at the white sky.

"Today's Valentine's Day, right?"_  
Argh! Yahiro! How can you ask her such a foolish question!_

The young man slapped his head hard at the end of the sentence. He could not care less whether the girl was looking or not – it was too huge a mistake to make.

Megumi nodded slightly and let go of Yahiro's hand.

She scribbled on her board and flashed it.

"I need to buy you chocolates," Yahiro bent down and read each word out aloud.

"No, it's okay. Not now," Yahiro patted Megumi's hair and walked forward.

Megumi felt a little disheartened hearing what Yahiro said.  
"Is it... because," she whispered with her eyes watching the pavement. She might have turned too conceited about the surprise date that she forgot all about this side of Yahiro – he doesn't like anything that's too lovey-dovey. Didn't he said he wanted chocolates then? Now he doesn't want it? By now, "Yahiro is beginning to dislike me," is filling up the head of the softspoken songbird.

"I don't know what you are thinking, but it's definitely not because I dislike you,"

Megumi looked up. For a short brief moment, Yahiro was on the same mind frequency with her._  
Even with that, it sounded romantic enough, Yahiro._

"Look, I would not even offered to take you out if I disliked you," Yahiro looked away as he took Megumi's hand once more and walked down the streets.

"Ah...I see," Megumi exhaled, looking a little disappointed that Yahiro sounded a little reluctant somehow.

_Megumi, am I doing the wrong things again?_

_Your head is hanging slightly lower than usual.  
I am always watching you, but I'll probably collapse from embarrassment if you knew about it.  
Your heart is sighing, isn't it?  
I can hear it even when your face isn't showing it._

_Don't lose hope, Megumi._

_You should know I don't give up that easily.  
_

"Let's go," Yahiro murmured softly and covered half of his facial expression with his hair. He took a quick glance at Megumi to ensure she was all okay – there was a dried leaf on the side of her head.

"Where to?" Megumi lifted her board.

"Hmm...," The young man studied the dried leaf and broke into a soft chuckle. A clueless Megumi alone was more entertaining than any other thing out there.

_Why do I always like to see your irises at times like this?_

_I feel like I could read the question off those eyes, without even looking at your handwriting._

"The movies?" Megumi tilted her head slightly, as if asking a question along with words on the board. Yahiro did not seem to be listening; he was more interested in that piece of dried leaf – it just slid slowly to the center of her head.

_Yet, I'll glance at what you scribbled anyway.  
I pretend not to be looking that's all._

"The aquarium?" Megumi made another suggestion as she stood adjacent to her partner. The way Megumi was asking, was similar to that of her first date with him. If it weren't for that day, she would not have noticed the other side of Yahiro.

_I know, that when I peer down at the board...  
You'll show a very eager expression.  
And I'll wait very patiently for that pair of eyes to sparkle in anticipation when I present my reply to you._

The leaf wobbled itself nearer to the fringe, as it slipped off the smooth surface of Megumi's wavy hair.

"Ah!" Yahiro narrowed the distance between the two of them as he placed one of his arms at Megumi's back. He pulled her closer towards his chest and took another glance at her.

"Ya!" was all Megumi had managed to say before she froze up in shock.

"Be careful. You nearly fell backwards and hit the edge of the bench," Yahiro whispered,with a slight frustrated frown. He wasn't angry at Megumi for being careless, but rather he was blaming himself for not being observant.

"T...Thank you," Megumi looked up meekly at Yahiro's sharp chin.

"Is there anywhere you want to go?" Yahiro asked and saw Megumi shaking her head before he could finish the sentence.

_The conversation ended abruptly over there.  
We had no where to go. There were no plans, nothing.  
I'm sorry for being such an idiot, Megumi._

Megumi ran towards a lamp post and pointed to what seemed to have been glued onto the surface – a flyer with its right corner torn apart.

"Here?" Megumi's voice penetrated the silence. She hurriedly scribbled onto her board and took out her phone.

_I'm like starting to understand Megumi's amusing mime. I do not even need to see what she's writing anymore._

"Megumi," Yahiro studied the flyer and smirked.

"Say I were to call Jun and tell him we're not going to have dinner. Say, the two of us are going to this place instead, wouldn't he be thinking that I'm kidnapping you?"

Megumi wrote "Tell Jun I consented..."

Yahiro laughed._  
She wants to be kidnapped...by me?_

_Even when Megumi continued writing "Because I consented, it's not a kidnap." I did not even want to read that line._

As his long fingers pressed the quick dial button, he turned on the loudspeaker mode so that Megumi could hear how her own twin brother would react to the statement.

"Megumi? What is it?" Jun answered in less than four rings.

"It's me, Saiga. I'm taking Megumi to somewhere faraway. We won't be coming back for dinner," All Yahiro could hear was a very loud exclamation from Jun. He hung up before Jun could respond to his announcement.

"Let's go, Megumi," Yahiro took her trembling hand as soon as she let go of the magnetic pen.

_I thought to myself as I felt her soft fingers in between the gaps of mine.  
The world belongs to both of us right now._

Megumi was thinking as her legs followed Yahiro's obdiently. She was wondering if she had selected the right place for a Valentine's Day date. Back in school, Megumi overhead from a few schoolgirls that the place on the flyer had just completed its renovations.

Yahiro stopped walking and pushed Megumi forward.  
"Is it this place? Hehh..." he did not sound a bit interested.

It was a revamped sea port. It used to be a place where merchants stationed all their wooden boats here and performed trade with the locals. The sea port was now transformed into a lively place filled with busking activities and seafood restaurants. There was even a gigantic silver Ferris Wheel facing the sea.

Megumi pointed at the large metallic wheel. It was rumored that if couples rode the Ferris Wheel and held hands at the highest point of the ride, they would be granted a wish.

"Why should even we take this?" Yahiro resented the idea of riding the Ferris Wheel. He feels that such rides are meant for kids below the age of 12.

"Because I want to," Megumi insisted with her eyes.

_There's no way I can refuse that isn't it?  
It's your day after all._

"Ehh~~ but it's so childish, Megumi," Yahiro whined.

Megumi placed her board down and grabbed Yahiro's hand, much to his astonishment. She stomped her way to the counter and signaled to the staff that she wanted a pair of tickets. Megumi then pulled Yahiro's arm and queued quietly behind a long stretch of people.

_I probably made her angry again.  
Why couldn't I just give in to her? Why couldn't I just tell her something she loves to hear?  
This date is seriously not going too well for the both of us._

It was not until fifteen minutes later, Megumi waved at the daydreaming Yahiro.

"Wait here," Megumi ran off without explaining why.

As Yahiro moved forward, he began to look at his watch and estimated the number of minutes that have flown past since Megumi ran frantically away from him.

_That's right, she must have ran away to catch a breather or something._

It was almost Yahiro's turn by now, and he allowed a few couples behind him to take his position instead as he queued behind them. It was until then, he realised why Megumi wanted to take the ride so badly.

"Ne ne, isn't this the Ferris Wheel that would bring couples together?" A girl pointed out.

" Ah I heard that whoever that says that wish aloud when the Ferris Wheel stops at the top, the wish would come true," Her female friend replied.

_What on earth is Megumi thinking again?  
She's always feeling so insecure about the two of us.  
Where on earth did she go?_

Meanwhile, Megumi was queuing at another counter.  
She had wanted to give Yahiro chocolates, it was Valentine's Day after all.  
As there were hardly any gift stores around, she settled with the ice cream parlour.

"Would like to have an ice-cream?" The middle-aged seller asked with a polite smile.

Megumi nodded her head and scribbled " One Chocolate, please."  
Just as she was about to lift her board, she noticed the awkward expression on the man's face. It was at that split second Megumi realised that Yahiro might be the only guy outside of SA who could have put up with her conversing via an erasable board. Megumi ran all the way back, there was never a time she had wanted to see Yahiro so badly, until now.

Yahiro stared into space and kept going to the back of the line for Megumi took such a long time to come back. He was even more puzzled when he saw her running towards him with a chocolate-flavoured ice cream cone.

_She ran away from me for the sake of this ice-cream!?_

"Yahiro!" Megumi's soft but high-pitched voice rang like a bell in Yahiro's ears.

"Don't tell me you went to eat ice-cream all by yourself and leave me here queuing for this ride?" Yahiro frowned because Megumi just strained her voice just to alert him.

_Yahiro, you are such a lousy guy.  
Fancy you getting jealous over a ice-cream cone.  
Since when did you get jealous so easily?_

Megumi handed over the ice-cream and said, "Chocolate-flavored. Happy Valentine's Day."

_Why?  
Why would she be so nice to me even after all the blunders I've committed today?_

Yahiro was dumbfounded. Megumi never looked more adorable when she said that phrase with a bashful smile on her. The queue seemed to move a lot faster, now that they were waiting for it together.

When it was their turn to ride the Ferris Wheel, there was nothing but complete silence throughout the first half of the ride.

"Ah, the ice-cream's melting," Yahiro commented.

_I'm being such a sadist today._

"What should I do, Megumi? If I were to eat it, we would be officially dating right?"

"Ah~ should I eat it?" Yahiro asked again, for Megumi looked down at her board, her right hand was writing characters on it.

"Yahiro, you need not eat it," Megumi flashed the board once and retrieved the cone. She began to nibble the waffle that wrapped round the chocolate cream.

_I really wanted to eat it though.  
I thought, the ice-cream would taste better if you told me to eat it._

Megumi peeked at Yahiro, whose side profile was too blinding to look at. Was it the sunset that made his face glow? Yahiro probably was still reluctant about the relationship even though he kept assuring that the incident with Akira was all in the past. The chocolate ice-cream was bitter. Was it dark chocolate? Megumi thought to herself. It did not really matter to her anymore.

The cabin was climbing its way to the top. Megumi had second thoughts about performing that embarrassing action with Yahiro when it stops for 15 seconds. She took another peek, Yahiro was not really her type – she preferred a guy who very much resembled Ryuu – someone who was more gentle and fuzzy to be with. Yahiro was, ironically, the direct opposite of her ideal type.

_What is Megumi staring at?  
Why isn't she angry over the teasings?  
_Yahiro, on the other hand, was very keen to know why his date could eat her ice-cream so peacefully even after she openly took back her Valentine's Day gift.

The cabin stopped suddenly without notice. It did not take the two of them too long to realise that the seconds were ticking madly away.

_What should I do?_

_Yahiro, think! Hurry! There's no time!_

Yahiro sat up, his knees knocked against Megumi's, who followed suit with her right hand still holding onto the cone. She licked her ice-cream nervously as Yahiro went closer.

"Ano na, Megumi," Yahiro blew the words softly into her ears. He took down the ice-cream and stared into those lilac-colored irises. Yahiro reached out towards her wrist.

_We have to hold hands, isn't it?_

Megumi held Yahiro's other vacant hand instinctively. She was too startled to do anything else. The midair cabin was an enclosed area – there was no other place she could escape to. She could not even look away – Yahiro's eyes was all she could see.

_Let me say it to you once.  
I'll probably only say it once today.  
So you'll have to remember it, Megumi.  
And...Kamisama? Please let this come true._

"I wish I will be celebrating Megumi's birthday every year like this, as real lovers." Yahiro was serious this time. He wasn't even smiling, he really meant it this time.

Ignoring the large round eyes that were staring back at him, Yahiro touched Megumi's lips with his. He knew the girl was completely frozen for she wasn't even resisting at all. Her lips tasted like chocolates – it seemed like as if Megumi was his Valentine's Day chocolates for the occasion.

_What flavour was it again?  
Didn't Megumi said it was chocolate?  
Why did it taste different?_

It was only then Megumi snapped back to reality. She flustered and dropped her board.  
What had happened previously?  
She peeped at Yahiro, who moved horizontally to bend down so that he can pick up the magnetic board.

"Megumi, what flavour did you say it was again?" Yahiro looked up. Megumi saw a prince kneeling in front of her. Her tongue reached out to the edge of her upper lip and attempted to taste the flavour of the ice-cream. Megumi was unable to taste anything at all. Images of Yahiro filled her head as she licked her lower lip. What flavour is this?

"Yahiro,"Megumi breathed out his name silently. If her brain was sending signals of Yahiro instead of the image of a chocolate bar, her lips definitely tasted like Yahiro.

Speechless, the man's face turned pink.

_Ah.  
The ice-cream on her lips tasted like Megumi too._

Megumi smiled.  
"Un, Yahiro," She said his name aloud.  
Chocolates to her now, tasted just like Yahiro. Bittersweet yet utterly addictive.

"Happy birthday once again, Megumi," Yahiro finished the ice-cream cone quickly; but that was not what he wanted. He wanted more of Megumi-flavoured chocolates. With his lips stained with chocolate ice-cream, he gave the songbird another peck.

"Happy Valentine's Day too, Megumi,"_  
If it's Megumi, I wouldn't want her to wait for a month before she gets her chocolates back._

つづく

* * *

どーもです!  
I'm finally done with this. = =''  
I just took out time to write this, just in time for White's Day~~  
(well obviously I missed Valentines' Day lol)

Happy White's Day!!  
Japanese celebrate this on March 14th, exactly one month after Valentine's~!  
Well, I suppose everyone reads shoujo? so I should not explain what guys do on this day right? loll

It's Yahiro-side this time, with a little Megumi-side here and there~~ XDDD  
Ah~ what else should i say?

Thank you for the reviews!  
I really appreciate all of them!!!  
They make me want to continue writing~~ and I'll do harder the next chapter!!

xoxo  
ゆる凛


	5. Pencil and Eraser

**Beside You**

**「四」Pencil and Eraser 鉛筆と消しゴム**

**

* * *

**

The strong rays of the sunlight shone in through the peach-colored vintage curtains and warmed up the woolen rug. A fair and slender arm wriggled out its way to the shrilling of the nearby alarm clock and chucked the waking device under the pillow. The weather was perfect for a long snooze; those reluctant long fingers peeked out of the comforter as the body stretched in a lazily manner.

"Megumi? Are you awake?" Jun called out to his twin sister as he knocked on her door the second time. Ever since Megumi got on friendly terms with Saiga Yahiro, she had been acting strangely. Jun was usually the sibling that had problems waking up and Megumi would hit his head with the sketchbook repeatedly.

"Are you really okay? Have you caught a flu or something?" Jun fumbled around with the locked doorknob.

Megumi sat up on her bed. She scrambled around for her mobile phone and saw the time on the menu screen. Her eyes were wide open by now. She grabbed her sketchbook and scribbled the words quickly as she flung open the door.

"Good Morning Jun! I'm sorry! I'll hurry! Get my school uniform!" Megumi held the board upside down as she ran towards the bathroom.

"Megumi!" Jun chased after her.

"Megumi!" He called out to her one more time, but the girl was not listening. The sound of the gushing tap could be heard from where Jun was standing and he walked conscientiously towards the bathroom door.

"Megumi," Jun sighed out when he saw his twin sister brushing her teeth and jumping anxiously at the same time. "It's a public holiday today."

Megumi's mouth fell out, and the toothbrush clanked loudly as it hit the walls of the marble basin. She walked over and flicked her fingers hard at Jun's forehead, as if to punish him for not telling her earlier. As she washed up, she wondered why Jun and Sakura had no plans today.

"You…Sakura? Not going out? " Megumi waved around her arms as Jun deciphered her actions like an easy charade question.

"Ah, Sakura said she had a lot of assignments left pending, so I'll meet her in the evening instead," Jun fiddled with the wash towels as he brought up his girlfriend's name in his conversation. Megumi loved the way Jun blushes whenever he uses "her" in his sentences. He would look to the floor before saying that word, as if he was making sensitive considerations for his own sister and then his lips would curl up a little.

_Jun, I wished that when I say out his name I would look like this too.  
You look so happy even when you are not smiling._

"Megumi, what about you?" Jun looked up cautiously. He is somewhat prepared that if Megumi doesn't give a reply, he would change the topic to a news article he read about last night on a stolen Stradivarius violin in London.

_Ah, what should I say?_

"Jun," Megumi whispered her brother's name. Jun's eyes widened a little; Megumi hardly used her voice and when she does decide to say something, she usually meant serious business. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bathtub.

"Do you feel nervous when you go out with Sakura?" Megumi bit her lips and looked adjacently at her own reflection in the mirror.

"For the first few outings, yes. Right now, the feeling's a little different from being nervous." Jun replied, twiddling his fingers at the same time.

"Different?"

"Yeah. I can't describe that feeling too. You'll only know that when you see that other special someone," Jun pointed both fingers at Megumi. He squinted his eyes at her and it seemed too obvious that his sister was having problems with the guy she likes.

_How could I tell Jun that after three months of occasional meetings,  
I still feel extremely nervous when I see Yahiro?_

"Perhaps, time would tell. Sooner or later, we'll all get used to that feeling," Jun patted Megumi's shoulder thrice and told her to take deep breaths.

A faint piano sonata rang in the distant room – it was Mozart's Alla Turca: Allegretto in A minor – Megumi's incoming call ringtone.

"Ya...hi…ro," She mouthed his name to her brother as she clutched onto his wrists. Megumi is reminded of the kiss on the Ferris wheel. While she couldn't really recall every single minute of it, she could vividly picture his eyes and his embarrassed twitched lips. He kissed her…_twice_, and he smiled at her. There was something missing about the kiss.

_Ah… Why is it I can't remember anything about the kiss?_

The memory fragments attempted to piece up like an animated jigsaw puzzle. Megumi could remmber the part when she smiled at Yahiro after he asked which ice cream flavor she bought during the Ferris wheel ride. As if there were large holes in the complete jigsaw potrait, Megumi couldn't recall the events that unfolded itself on the Ferris wheel – the next thing she knew, she was sitting beside Jun and Ryuu sipping tea in the greenhouse.

The keys of the piano sonata rang in Megumi's head. "I'll pick that call for you," Jun holds Megumi's hand and pulls her along with him. These are times when Megumi feels comforted that she has Jun as her twin brother – he would know the exact moment his sister feels awkward over, and he would think of a remedy that would not affect the other party in any mean.

The illuminated screen on Megumi's phone lists the caller as Yahiro. Jun wondered how Megumi knew it was Yahiro calling from the bathroom – her intuition was too strong. He glanced at Megumi, who was nodding her head earnestly yet keeping herself away from the phone. Jun took one deep breath and pushed the "Answer" button.

Jun thought it was usual for Megumi to be silent upon answering the call and kept mum as he tweaked the loudspeaker mode so that his sister could hear the entire conversation.

"Oi," Yahiro's rude tone shot out abruptly through the speakers.

"You are not Megumi right?"

Jun looked at the mobile phone, checking twice to see if he switched on the video call mode by accident.

"How did he know?" Jun mouthed out those words so that Megumi could lip-read and scribble her replies on the sketchbook. Megumi scratched her head and drew a question mark.

"It's Jun, right?" Yahiro's voice echoed across Megumi's bedroom.

"Yeah, how did you know it wasn't Megumi?" Jun cleared his throat, now that his cover has been blown.

"Megumi likes to answer her calls with an almost-inaudible "Hai" because "Moshi Moshi" takes up too much syllables. It strains her throat. She doesn't keep quiet like that though,"

_Even when I never explained the reason why, Yahiro knew it.  
I find myself smiling at this side of him. _

"So…why am I speaking to Jun, Megumi?" Yahiro teased the twins. Jun pictured Yahiro sitting on the armchair, his left leg over his right, flipping television channels with a remote control. He must be smirking away gleefully after he saw through the twins' plan.

"She doesn't want to talk to you," Jun sat down on the bed alongside with Megumi writing on the sketchbook, instructing her brother on what to tell Yahiro.

"Oh? Why is that so?" Yahiro asked with a lyrical tone, as if he knew something behind Megumi's queer behaviour.

"Saiga, what exactly did you do to my sister? She's been acting strange since her…birthday," Jun clenched the mobile phone, frustrated at the way this man is treating his twin sister, as if she was some kind of a plaything.

"Ah, I would love to tell you, Yamamoto Jun. But you are not the person I want to talk to right now. Pass the phone back to Megumi,"

Megumi whispered softly to the receiver and switched off the loudspeaker, "Hai."

Yahiro chuckled, "Megumi, are you free to go out today?" He knew Megumi wouldn't say anything, so obviously he has the upper hand here.

Megumi swallowed at the invitation. "Yahiro…" Her voice echoed in the mouthpiece. She felt the surface of her lips.

_There wasn't any feeling left._

"W…What? Don't call out my name all of a sudden…It feels…we…weird," Yahiro sounded as if he was searching for words to conceal what he actually felt when he heard her voice.

"I…I can't remember at all," Megumi hung her head low, her fingers grabbing the comforter. Her breath was shaking, and her tears were coming out.

_I can't remember…the feeling of that kiss.  
__It feels terrible, Yahiro.  
__I don't like this at all._

"Yahiro…" Megumi bit her lip when she called out to his name once more. She knew Jun was looking at her.

"Megumi, come over to the main door now," Yahiro sounded a lot serious this time.

Before Yahiro could finish his sentence, Megumi had hung up the phone. She ran down the staircase dressed in her pyjamas; she didn't even bother to bring along her magnetic board. Megumi wanted to know if Yahiro remembered the events after the kiss.

The door opened slowly and Megumi was greeted with Yahiro that was dressed up in his usual fashion – a navy blue coat with 6 pairs of silver buttons and a large buckle at the collar; long and sleek black pants followed by black boots.

He frowned when he saw Megumi.

"What happened to you?" He said grumpily.

Megumi's eyes started to fill up with tears. She didn't like the insecurity of the current relationship. She didn't know if Yahiro was true, or if they were just playing games. She wasn't sure if the kiss was real; or if the events signified anything in her life. At the rate Megumi is analyzing her current relationship with Yahiro, she's frustrated that her memory wasn't even cooperating with her.

The quiet songbird looked to the floor as her tears slapped hard at the floor surface. Yahiro grabbed her shoulders and he took another look at Megumi. He knew Megumi was frightened by something, but he didn't know the answer.

"Get dressed,"

"?" Megumi looked up at Yahiro, who wasn't smiling at all.

"I'm taking you to a place."

_He's always like this.  
He doesn't tell you._

_Why he wants to take you out  
__Where he's going to take you  
__What he's going to do._

_Yahiro doesn't tell you anything._

_But…_

In the car, Yahiro and Megumi sat at both extreme ends of the back seat. Megumi began to look out of the car window. She saw the lush greenery that went past her car in a soothing manner; a pair of sea birds hovered above the water surface. It didn't take too long before Megumi realized that they were drifting away from urbanization. She peered down at her own yellow floral dress and wondered if it was the appropriate dress code for the place they were going to.

"Where are we going?" Megumi wrote on her magnetic board.

"Hmm…" Yahiro rubbed his chin.

"I'll tell you. Only if you tell me what made you cry," He went closer and tapped Megumi's nose with his finger. Megumi withdrew instinctively, her lips trembling as she grabbed the pen.

_You are the reason, Yahiro._

"It's okay. I'll just wait until we reach the destination." Megumi placed the board on Yahiro's laps with her handwriting, as if telling him she doesn't want to continue the conversation. She went back to watching the sceneries – the car was entering a tunnel lined with parallel amber lights.

Yahiro knocked the board against Megumi's head.  
"Don't return something I've given away," Yahiro inched the board closer to Megumi.

Megumi bowed a little in apology. In the next second, she was reminded of the fact that she was supposed to be feeling unhappy about her situation with Yahiro. She shook her head in frustration.

"You are so weird today, Megumi," Yahiro took another glance.

The car travelled for another two hours until it finally pulled to a halt. Megumi tried to identify the location, but there were no road signs near the car for her to grasp a rough analysis of the place. Yahiro stepped out of the car and spoke to an old man who came out of a cottage-like house to greet him.

"It's so rare to see you here, Saiga-sama," The old man bowed.

"Ah, there's no need to bow. I told you so many times I don't like you to do that." Yahiro gave the old man a brief hug.

"I'll be at the fields. I'll appreciate if you would prepare us dinner," Yahiro waved as he walked back to the car. He signaled for Megumi to come out of the car.

"Follow me," Yahiro walked quickly ahead of Megumi as the two of them passed the cottage. Megumi wrapped her hands round the magnetic board and trailed closely behind.

Just right behind the cottage, there was a vast field of rapeseed flowers in full bloom. Megumi thought that such places only existed in stock photograph websites and that she would not have the chance to visit such magnificent wonder. The vermillion sun was setting amidst the lilac-colored clouds and the flowers glistened in a golden hue. It was gorgeous beyond words for Megumi. She pulled out her flip-phone and began to snap pictures of the scenery.

The buzzing sound of Yahiro's phone could be heard in the background. Yahiro told Megumi to wait for him at that spot while he hurried over to answer the call. Megumi could hear him speaking in French as she went down the steps by the pavement and entered the field. The serenity of this place made Megumi felt so much better than she did earlier.

_Yahiro doesn't say anything.  
But…he surprises you with what he actually knows._

Megumi inhaled, her lungs were filled with the fragrance of rapeseeds. If she had to sing a song right now, the pale moon hanging above reminded her of the traditional folk song Oborozukiyo.

菜の花畠に 入日薄れ  
見わたす山の端 霞ふかし  
春風そよふく 空を見れば  
夕月かかりて におい淡し

_The sun fades gently among the field of rapeseeds.  
The outline of the mountains obscured by the surrounding mist.  
I feel the spring breeze blowing as I look up to the sky.  
The moon rises slowly along with a faint scent of spring._

The residents of the nearby village began crowding at the field as they heard Megumi singing. A few of them took out their mobile phones and began to record what they saw, thinking that they must have encountered a nymph of some sort. The voice that amplified into their ears sounded surreal and pristine – it brought peace to their hearts.

Yahiro ended the business call immediately and ran out when he heard the voice he fell in love with. There was only one person who could sing in a way that would disrupt the usual frequency of his heartbeat. He didn't like it when the singer sounded a little melancholy today, even when her lyrics were singing praises of the scenery. There was something wrong going on with Megumi.

He looked far into the rapeseed field, but it was too dark to see from where he was. Megumi wore a yellow floral dress, the color was identical to that of the rapeseed blossoms – she was totally camouflaged within the surroundings. The only thing Yahiro could was to follow the song. As the folk song only had two verses, it was going to end.

"Megumi!" Yahiro shouted out as he combed through the fields. "Why does she always do things her own way?" He muttered under his breath while brushing against the plants that stood in his way.

The song got louder. Yahiro stopped running – he found the girl. In the midst of the yellow rapeseed petals, Megumi stood under the silver moonlight like a fallen shining star. Her wavy long hair danced to the spring breeze; her fair complexion contrasted against the dark landscape; her floral dress complemented her petite frame – it made her resemble a flower fairy that fell out from the storybooks. She plucked one of the blossoms and smiled to herself. Yahiro thought he just saw the most beautiful scenery on earth. Megumi's voice brought tears to his eyes once more.

"What are you doing here?" Yahiro questioned. It sounded a little too harsh.

"I…"

"Where's the board? " Yahiro demanded. Megumi pointed her shivering finger to the wooden bench.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Write with the board," Yahiro sighed out and walked towards the bench. He picked up the board and turned towards Megumi.

"Don't come here," Megumi whispered, her palms in front of her chest, signaling Yahiro to stop walking over.

"What did I do, Megumi? If I did something wrong…" Yahiro sounded frustrated. He clenched his right fist, blaming himself for saying the words to her all the time.

"No. Not Yahiro," Megumi shook her head. She took a deep breath before she looked at Yahiro in the eye.

"Forgetting something. I don't like it," Megumi breathed out those words in a soft whisper. Her high-pitched voice rang in Yahiro's ears like a melody.

"Our first kiss…I forgot it…. I don't like it." Megumi's tears were welling up again. She didn't want Yahiro to know about this. Her knuckles were all white as her fingers clung to her dress. It seemed like as if she didn't love Yahiro enough.

Yahiro could not hold it any longer. He stormed angrily ahead despite Megumi's instructions and grabbed her arm. Yahiro then sat on the bench, his hand tugged at Megumi. Caught off-guard, Megumi stumbled a few steps and sat beside Yahiro, who happened to be looking sideways. He often avoided eye contact whenever he intends to tell Megumi something really important. It wasn't deliberate; he was conjuring up the appropriate words to say it to her properly.

The two of them were silent for a while. The moon was ridden of those obscure clouds, and the yellow flowers on the field swayed gently to the cool spring breeze.

"Megumi," Yahiro paused. He hesitated, not knowing if he should continue with what he wanted to say.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Megumi lifted her board. She was afraid that Yahiro might say something bad after that line.

"I forgot what was the feeling of that kiss too."

"Eh?" Megumi's eyes widened at the sudden revelation.

_Does it mean we don't love each other enough?_

"That's why I brought you here," Yahiro mumbled softly under his breath. It was almost inaudible.

"Eh?" Megumi looked closer to try to read Yahiro's lips; the latter shunned further away as he said those words.

Yahiro sat up all of a sudden and turned towards Megumi who almost jumped in her seat.  
"I!" The syllable came out loud, as Yahiro shifted his glance onto the floor.

"I…don't like it too."

"I…don't want to forget it."

Yahiro leaned closer; his awkward yet frustrated eyes fixated on the puzzled girl. His hand reached out for the magnetic board and took it away from her.

_One._

Megumi shut her eyes when Yahiro got too close. She did not expect a kiss on the lips from him. It felt like a fleeting moment of happiness. Megumi opened her eyes immediately and saw Yahiro's face up close. He did it another time when Megumi's eyes were widely open. This time he was smiling a little more.

_Two._

_Three. _

_Four…_

_As if Yahiro didn't want the feeling inside of me to fade at all, he kept doing it until my entire skin feels like it's on fire. It's making me…too dizzy. I no longer know what I'm doing anymore._

"One more?" Megumi asked meekly.

Yahiro was astonished by the sudden courage Megumi summoned to request for another kiss. He covered his eyes with his palm, knowing very well that should he take any more glances of Megumi, he would collapse due to the excessive heat emanating out of his cheeks. Yahiro was unable to see and he pecked whatever that was in front of him.

"You are so…unfair,"Yahiro blurted those words in embarrassment.

_I remembered the last one. It was a clumsy, sudden knock on my fringe._

"Hee," Megumi started to break out in a giggle.

_This ticklish feeling that makes me laugh like a child.  
Is this the same feeling Jun experienced with Sakura?  
Is this…love?_

"I like Yahiro's kiss," She smiled while touching the burning sensation on her forehead. Yahiro fell onto bench, his face burning hot. He stared hard at the girl in front of him – she seemed like a totally different person after kissing.

"Since when…did Megumi get so bold?" He muttered to himself.

ねえ、八尋  
記憶はね〜なんか文具の箱みたいだと思えない？

_Yahiro,  
Don't you think memories resemble a box of stationery?_

昨日の記憶はまるで消しゴム  
だんだん小ちゃくになってしまうね。

_The memories of yesterday are like the erasers.  
They diminish in size along with time._

明日の記憶はまるで白い紙  
未知の世界で、どんな期待を抱えるのか分からないね。

_The memories of tomorrow are like the white papers.  
__It's a totally unknown world and we do not know what to expect of it._

だからこそ今日の記憶は鉛筆みたいに  
精一杯で描いたり色に染まったり心に刻んでほしい。

_That's why the memories of today become like pencils.  
__I want to draw, paint it with all of my might and carve them into our hearts._

そして今日が終わるとともに、  
記憶がまた無意識に消えて、また明日はどうなるのか心配になって。

_And when the day ends,  
__These memories would start eroding unconsciously, and I'll worry about what tomorrow might bring._

もういいの。  
忘れてもいいの。

_It's okay.  
It's okay to forget about them._

だってね  
また会うよね  
また連れるよね  
また楽しみにしてね。

そう その横顔を見れば、また恋にするよね。  
今日も、明日も、明後日も。

_Because we'll see one another again;  
and you'll take me out again;  
and I'll look forward to it again._

___That's right, and if I see your side profile, I'll fall in love with it all over again.  
__Today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow._

_つづく_

_

* * *

_

どーもです!  
In fact it's been a long time since I updated this fic! I apologise for the long wait.  
If you are reading, thank you for waiting!

I re-wrote this chapter so many times. T_To  
It's partly due to the fact that I lost the file when I was writing it.

The song that Megumi sings in the story is a real song. I did not make it up.  
It is a song that most elementary schoolers in Japan would come to know of.  
Oborozukiyo means Misty Moon.

And...Megumi's poem at the end.  
Of course, I wrote that. If you can read it in Japanese, I think it sounds better - _

I'm thinking of Yahiro's one in the next chapter.

Anyhow, I missed writing so much! and I'm really glad I finished this chapter.  
Thank you for the comments~~ I read every single one of them yoo!

I'll see you guys in the next chapter~~

xoxo  
ゆる凛


	6. The Existence of Happiness

**Beside You**

**「五」幸せの存在 The Existence of Happiness**

* * *

_I used to question myself.  
What does 'happiness' actually mean?_

Yahiro stared blankly at the half-filled glass across the meeting room as the shareholders began to discuss the acquisition of another company. He wasn't too interested in the meeting – he's well aware that the acquisition would be go anyway. The only reason he was sitting in the room was because he promised the board fifteen minutes of attendance. There was only one thing in his agenda now – to get to London as soon as his plane could take him.

_I wished I could fly towards the sky you are gazing at right now._

Megumi's tiny little melancholic performance at the rapeseed field went viral last week, after her video was uploaded to social networks. She received countless invitations from all over the world, requesting her to perform in their concerts. Megumi agreed to take on one – an open-field music festival in London. Yahiro was all for it, and promised to attend it even when he had a major shareholders' meeting. He was wondering if he had made a bad decision in letting her fly to London alone.

"Yahiro," Megumi decides to call Yahiro the moment she spoke to the organisers of the music festival.

"Should I go?" She asks softly.

"No," Yahiro replied almost immediately. He hears Megumi gasping – she must have been shocked to hear that reply.

"Megumi, that is not what you should be asking me," Yahiro sighs out. He's silently happy that Megumi is starting to talk to him a little more with her real voice. Yahiro knew that Megumi would only talk if it were something drastically important.

"Heh?"

"Ask me, "Can you attend it?" instead," Yahiro breaks out into a meek grin as he was teasing the distressed poor girl.

"Ah! Yahiro!" Megumi's voice brightened up. Yahiro was certain that Megumi had wanted to perform all along. This was her opportunity, and she should take it without hesitating at all. She was probably jittery because it was the first time she decided on something so abruptly.

Megumi giggled a little. "Can you?"

Yahiro teased a little more, "I can't hear you. You are whispering too much,"

Megumi pleaded, "Please~~"

Yahiro peered over at his tablet for next week's schedule, he had a shareholders' meeting on the day before her performance. If he departs Tokyo on time, he should be able to reach the performance venue without qualms. He's definitely going for sure, but he can't promise her that readily.

"I might be late," Yahiro replied.

"But you will be there," Megumi smiled. She is beginning to decipher what Yahiro meant when he responds to her in that manner.

"I'll see you in London. In the meantime, don't miss me too much," Yahiro hangs up the phone and sends a text message.

_"Now, stop smiling and start practicing. - Yahiro "_

Megumi was rehearsing at the open-air stage, when the stage manager prompts her where she should be standing so that the audience could see her best. She would pull out her phone and read the past messages Yahiro have been sending her. That was the only thing that kept Megumi going ever since she decided on heading for this music festival all by herself. Yahiro was the only person she invited.

"I'll do this right," Megumi is determined and nodded in response to the stage manager's instructions.

Meanwhile at the monotonous meeting, Yahiro looks over at his phone – fifteen minutes were up. He stands up, neglecting the sudden silence and pierces it relentlessly, "If you need my vote in this affair, my answer is 'Affirmative. The acquisition will be a go.' I suppose that is all, I'll take my leave," Yahiro signals to his secretary to take over his place and dashed towards his car.

It takes about 12 hours to get to London, and Yahiro solely wished he could reach there in minutes instead. After all the sleepless nights Yahiro pulled just to be able to fork out three days with Megumi in London, the heir to the Saiga Group blacked out on his seat before realizing it.

The song Megumi decided to choose to perform was a Japanese song by the already-disbanded group Tokyo Incidents. It was a song with a slow melody, but was packed with a desire to change into a better person. She sent Yahiro one message before she waited backstage.

_"I will be performing Time Capsule. I'm seventh on the line-up! The concert will begin in two hours! I'm nervous, but I will do my best! – Megumi"_

There wasn't a reply. It could only mean that Yahiro hasn't landed in London. She had the concert staff to check if the Tokyo flight to London had arrived.

"The flight landed an hour ago," The staff replied.

_Oh._ Megumi's heart sank a little. Yahiro couldn't make it after all.  
Megumi sat down and got her makeup fixed.  
She decides to put her favourite honeysuckle lip color to match with her pink maxi-dress.

"This is not the time to think of that!" Megumi decides to divert her attention to the song lyrics.

"_I wonder if I can ever become the new me. The old me is clouding up my vision. "_

Yahiro tossed his passport over to the immigration officer as he walked briskly down the stairs of his private jet. The immigration officer nodded and stamped it; Yahiro thanked his promptness and entered the car. Megumi's performance will start in forty minutes. He had intended to stop by the florist to get her flowers, but time was running out – Megumi's live was much more important.

Megumi walked stiffly towards the center of the stage. Her body froze as she saw how clueless and puzzled the audience looked. She was after all, a newbie. Megumi looked around for Yahiro, but she couldn't find him. The stage manager was prompting her to start. Megumi was turning speechless; it was then she recalled what Yahiro used to tell her at the recording studio.

"When you are afraid, close your eyes and feel the music. Let it guide you through the song,"

Megumi closed her eyes.  
She could remember the lyrics very well, because it sung out parts of her when she was with Yahiro.

_I get engulfed in feelings I can't express in words.  
The piercing atmosphere steals my voice away._

_Though I fumble my way, and I am alone…  
I will continue running and rumble the skies._

_Wait a little longer for me to become a brand new person._

The piano stopped. Megumi could hear nothing but total silence. She inhaled deeply and looked up shyly. The applause from the audience was deafening – some of them were crying. She was relieved to see that they were enjoying her performance.

"Megumi! Megumi! Megumi!" The crowd started to cheer and wave. Megumi waved back a little and smiled. It was the first time she didn't feel that she did a horrible job in singing.

She squinted a little more, and she saw him.  
Yahiro was standing in the middle of the frenzied audience. He wasn't late at all.  
"I waited," He mouths those words and smiled.

Megumi started crying. She had no idea those words could mean so much for her. Yahiro did wait for her all along - he never once told her that her dreams were impossible. He did turn her into a braver person. Falling in love with Yahiro changed Megumi into a better person for good.

Yahiro signaled to the backstage and he waited patiently for Megumi to come out of the staff's exit. He stepped forward and gave her a hug.

"Idiot," He muttered.

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to be your manager. I don't care what you say. You are going to be stuck with me for a very long time," Yahiro blushed as he said those words like that of a prince's decree.

"Of course," Megumi patted Yahiro's back. For Megumi, that would be equivalent to a love confession. Yahiro has probably mustered a lot of courage to say that to her. She's glad that they are a tad bolder with one another now. The sense of nervousness is fading away like the desert sand in the winds.

"Only Yahiro can manage a person like me," Megumi scribbled these words on her whiteboard and giggled.

"That goes without saying," Yahiro replies haughtily.

"Dinner?" Yahiro walks a few steps forward and extends his hand to Megumi.

Megumi kisses Yahiro's hand and wraps her fingers closely with his.  
"I am really glad to like Yahiro."

Yahiro's cheeks were flushed.  
"Thank you…for accepting me."

The two of them look up at the night sky together. The stars were very sparse, but they saw a common shining star. It was probably shining just for the two of them. Megumi snuggled a little closer to Yahiro, and Yahiro held her closer to where his heart was. She could hear his heartbeat – this time it was beating loudly but firmly.

"Let's go. I'm really hungry," Megumi grinned as they started to walk back to the car.

な、芽  
「幸せ」っていうものは何だろう？

Hey, Megumi  
What is this thing called "happiness"?

「幸せ」は  
誰かを創る、また誰かを奪う。  
誰かを潰す、また誰かを救う。  
結局は失望や絶望だから  
要らないほうが楽。

"Happiness" is something  
One creates, and gets taken away by someone else.  
One crushes it, and gets saved by someone else.  
For the ending is usually made up of disappointment and despair,  
It's easier without it.

そうではないだろうか？  
Isn't that so?

生きるなんて虚しいさ。  
オレの「存在」に認められないから、何の意味がない。  
「心」も少しずつ消えてしまった。

Living somehow feels empty.  
There is no meaning to live, when my "existence" isn't acknowledged by anyone.  
The "heart" also starts to fade away little by little.

しかし、芽と時間を過ごしたり、悩んだり、怒ったり、心配したり、  
やっと気づいた。オレの「存在」っていうもの。  
だんだん大きくなって、だんだん満たされてた。

However, the time spent with Megumi, fretting, getting angry and worried over her,  
Made me realised something. This thing called "existence".  
It starts to grow bigger, and starts to get filled up.

な、芽  
「幸せ」っていうものは何だろう？  
それは「存在」しか知らないだろう。

Hey, Megumi  
What is this thing called "happiness"?  
I believe only "existence" knows what that is.

じゃ、芽はオレにとってどんな「存在」だろうか？  
「鍵」だ。

ああ、その「心」の唯一の鍵だ。  
オレの幸せの存在になったんだ。

So, what kind of "existence" does Megumi mean to me, I wonder?  
You are the "Key".

Ah, it's the only key to that "heart".  
You became the existence of my happiness.

_つづく_

* * *

どーもです!  
It's been a long time. How is everyone? I do hope that there are people still reading this! :D  
I finally found time for myself to sit down and I had the resolute to finish one chapter at one go.  
I took very long to think of Yahiro's poem. He's a more complicated character, so that's why he talks about things like that :P

The song is by Tokyo Jihen. It is called Time Capsule.  
I would like to thank Sarah ( ) for her translations for the song. I edited a little to fit the story.

_ Thank you for reading! Thank you for following and thank you for the reviews!  
The story hasn't ended! :D  
In fact, things just begun for the two of them.

Let's hear what Megumi has to say next :P

xoxo  
ゆる凛


	7. Good Morning, Yahiro

**Beside You**

**「六」 ****Good Morning, Yahiro ****おはよう、八尋**  


* * *

Dawn crept between the gaps of the thick curtains and the parquet flooring of the hotel room, leaving a pale glow on the nearby cashmere rug. The Victorian-stylized walls were draped in columns of finely crafted teak, and an elaborated crystal chandelier hung a few metres ahead of two symmetrical queen-sized beds. Tugged under the thick and fluffy comforters and satin sheets was Yamamoto Megumi. Succumbing to slumber at two in the wee hours has rendered the songbird resting her face sideways into the feather pillows; her legs sprawled across in a messy state.

Just a few hours ago, Megumi was looking up to the decorated ceiling of the room, staring aimlessly at the graceful swirls that laced across. She glanced to her right side and smiled – her special someone was sleeping away, like an innocent child. Megumi watched and took every single frame in like a camera – it was fascinating enough for her to observe trivial things like sleeping habits. The occasional opening of the mouth, the relaxed breathing sounds and the faint fluttering of the long eyelashes were sights she never would have been brought to such attention until today. Megumi stretched her fingers to reach those eyebrows, which twitched upon her touch. She giggled away as she moved to the forehead and trickled her fingers down the sharp side profile. Her index finger paused momentarily at the tip of the nose and did a light tap dance. She continued all the way down the chin before realization hit her that she was playing with the face of the heir to the Saiga Financial Group, one of the top 20 corporations in the world.

As the songbird hit playback on her memories of today, she broke into a radiant and blessed smile – today had been so ultimately epic. Saiga Yahiro made a 12-hour trip to London in the midst of all his frenzied meetings to catch the debut live performance of Yamamoto Megumi. He brought her flowers, and gave her a privately romantic kiss on the ride back to the restaurant. Yahiro was the perfect gentleman that night – he knew Megumi wouldn't want to use too much of her voice after such a powerful performance, so he had the necessary stationeries on standby. He had also anticipated that Megumi might want her friends in S.A. to watch her performance, so he had the video recording acquired from the cameramen sent over. Saiga Yahiro was irresistibly charming, and Megumi could not keep those words inside her any longer – they were about to explode any time soon.

"I like you, Yahiro. Thank you so much for today," Megumi whispers softly at the end of the dinner. She knows Yahiro doesn't really reciprocate in words – he hasn't, for once, expressed how he feels towards her. Yahiro flustered a little, and teased, "Well of… of course, I am your manager right now. " His lips twitched after that line, as if he was feeling a little regrettable for not being honest again.

While Megumi may not mind the lack of confessions and cottoned fluffs that she thought she would be getting in a relationship, Yahiro seems to be getting complacent and overly conceited recently. He's getting a lot more comfortable with Megumi; he's also opening up. It may seem like a good thing to the peculiar relationship the two of them are having, but it also means Yahiro is bolder now with his pranks and teasing banters. Megumi is still feeling that bit of uncertainty in her relationship, and she wonders consistently where the two of them are standing right now.

The moonlight from the windows poured into the room, as the clouds started to drift away by the winds. Megumi leapt off the bed and walked towards the side of the huge window. She drew the thick curtains as she noticed Yahiro turning away from the distracting moonlight. As she gazed to the distant scenery of London's quieter night view, Megumi began to whisper out the lyrics to one of the classics.

"And I think to myself..."

Just as she was about to complete the line, she realised Yahiro was hugging her from the back. The sudden intimate proximity took Megumi by surprise, and her heart raced as Yahiro breathed out the remaining words to the evergreen classic.

"What a wonderful world."

Megumi could hear Yahiro smirking as he leaned in closer, and ran both of his hands down Megumi's arms, interlocking at the fingers. He reached in closer to Megumi, his lips barely hovering between the limited spaces available. Megumi tries her best to salvage the dwindling amounts of her composure, and asks Yahiro.

"A … a kiss?"

"Why, you wanted more?" Yahiro teased. Megumi turned around and shot him a bewildered glare. In response, she frowned playfully and pouted her lips.

Yahiro's eyes looked up and he paused.  
"Don't do that, Megumi."

"Why?" Megumi was hoping that Yahiro would at least give her a compliment.

"It only makes me want to bully you even more." Yahiro opened his mouth and glomped Megumi's lips, before he gave her a gentle kiss. This time, Megumi didn't fight back. She ran her fingers through Yahiro's soft hair, which tingled in happiness at every single strand.

Yahiro moved his lips somewhere else this time, leaving Megumi a little puzzled. He cupped Megumi's profile and ran his lower lip down her nose; in a similar fashion what Megumi did earlier with her fingers. He could sense that Megumi's astonished eyes were looking straight into his, and he gave his signature sinister grin, with zero ill intentions.

"You thought I was asleep?"

"Ya…!" Megumi was about to hit Yahiro on the shoulders in a deliberate retaliation, but he grabbed those fingers first. He stuck out his tongue playfully.

"And you were having so much fun with my face,"

"Since when…?"

"Since when I realised that you were doing… this?" Yahiro nipped gently at the tip of Megumi's nose. The songbird was flushing really hard in embarrassment.

"Oh Megumi, how could I sleep when you are not?"

Megumi was reminded why she was unable to sleep. Her mind had unknowingly drifted away to the past. There was someone in her head, and every little single matter that revolved around that person came together. She was like a detective, reviewing her curious case files of a person named Saiga Yahiro.

"I couldn't," Megumi's weary eyes looked to Yahiro for help. He didn't say a word, but he took her hand and brought her back to the bed. He lay on the adjacent bed and gazed into her eyes.

"We'll play a game then," He smiles, in a very typical fashion Megumi had grown comfortably with. She is now becoming fond of his games, a means to solve some of the simpler issues between the two of them.

"The first person to falls asleep wins?" Megumi asks meekly.

"How could my games be that simple? The both of us will hold hands, and we will pretend to sleep. The one that eventually lets go will lose the game," Yahiro responded. He could hear Megumi breathing out one word upon hearing the rules of the game, but he decides to interrupt that sentence so that she doesn't have to strain her voice further.

"What does the loser have to do? I'll decide when morning arrives,"

Megumi narrows her eyes and shot him a decisive look. She wants to take on the challenge. Yahiro gave her a sinister grin as he shook his head.

"Megumi, I won't lose. You already know how skilled I am at pretending to be asleep," He teased one more time, and reached out his hand in a taunting manner. Megumi held those hands, and counted to three with Yahiro. He made sure Megumi closed her eyes for about three minutes before he did likewise.

* * *

Our elite upbringing may sometimes turn us into image-conscious robots.  
The adults would remind us, "Stay modest, tactful, prim and proper. Remember all the etiquettes. People are watching your every move. Maintain eye contact, anticipate future moves and react accordingly. Most importantly, smile."

Sometimes I feel, we pretend and hide so much at those social functions that we tend to forget ourselves.

Luckily for me, I had Jun and Ryuu who constantly remind me that I can be whoever I want to be with them. In Hakusenkan, I always have the S.A. to depend on, and vice-versa.

Yahiro wasn't that fortunate.  
He grew up thinking he's supposed to be the villain so that the rest of the world could be a lot happier. He worries that people would be unhappy, yet he is often misunderstood for his actions. He tends to put up a front and he expresses himself in an opposite manner. He's afraid of being himself, and he runs away from it so skillfully he ends up pretending all over. He nearly succeeded in becoming a badass villain that the S.A. loathed.

To be honest, I was afraid of him a little at first – the one he loved most went to another person. The S.A. and I all concluded that if he ever comes to know that Akira and Tadashi were dating, he might exact revenge.

That's why I decided to pretend to like him. I told myself, I could do it because I wanted to take down this villain; I want the world to be a better place. All I simply have to do was to pretend. I remember trembling so hard when I marched up at the Saiga residence, but I knew I was the only one left in S.A. to pull everyone out of misery.

For a while, when he shoved me that whiteboard, I saw a flicker of what lurked beneath the steely facade. Yahiro is a gentle person with a heart. He wasn't too bothered about me not talking sometimes; he was patient enough to wait for me to finish writing. He reads my facial expressions, and he responds cheekily to them. He worries about me when I get agitated and I start speaking, and he starts to fluster with his words clumsily.

_That is Saiga Yahiro?_

I learnt a few things about Saiga Yahiro. He is merely a person who is fighting hard to be his real self. He's frightened of being rejected for doing good, for everyone had accepted him as the bad guy. Yahiro tries to retrieve this lost chunk of his real self; but it kept slipping past his fingers. He never gives up, and he keeps trying. In every word he says, and in every text message he send me, I could see how hard he tries. The best thing of it all, he doesn't even know he's doing all of these.

I struggled with the different sides of Yahiro I saw. It made him fascinating, so I continued with the pretend game. I wanted to meet up with him more; I wanted to talk to him. The more I pretended to like him, the more I got to know him. I even grew used to him teasing me, that I feel tickled by them. Sometimes things get a little overboard, and I begin to suspect that maybe I was not pretending after all; that maybe our feelings were mutual.

Yahiro let me into his complex yet reclusive world. It was a private place with barely any light, but it was a very fuzzy place to be. He had unknowingly inspired me to try even harder. The harder I tried, the harder I fell in love. We eventually stopped pretending one day. I became transparent and bold, while Yahiro was surprisingly playful and straightforward. I even realized that we were so alike in many ways, despite our bag of differences.

I'd always thought that I would never find someone to love me back as much as I would love him. I am a hopeless romantic; I am frequently lost in my delusional world of romance novels and literature. I want someone who could profess how much he loves me; I want him to show me the extent of his warmth and I want to be able to feel it. I want too many things in the man I love, which is why I am convinced that I would remain single for a long time.

This is also why I am silently thankful that I made the decision to face Saiga Yahiro that day, a man completely different from the dreams I made about my possible Mr. Right. He has a terrible lack of honeyed words, but his words still set your cheeks on fire. He doesn't exhibit public displays of affections, but he burns your skin with every single touch when there s no one around. He teases relentlessly, but he shares every vexing matter with you.

We are in this world we created together.  
I am positive we can live in it for a long time.  
I hope Yahiro would one day; tell me how he feels in words.

I love you, Yahiro. I believe you already know that by now.

* * *

Megumi's right hand was incubating comfortably under the pillows, her outstretched left arm peeked out of the edge of her bed – her slender wrist resting peacefully on the palms of Saiga Yahiro, whose fingers were wrapping hers gently. He was sleeping with his left arm over his head on the adjacent bed.

The sudden vibrations from Yahiro's phone rattled across the dressing table. Megumi opened her eyes lazily and squinted at the sound source. Her eyes shifted back to the bed across her – Yahiro was still sleeping. No, he's just pretending to be asleep.

"Good morning, boyfriend." Megumi giggled and tickled Yahiro's palm. It was still for a moment, and it sprung to life, tickling back. A smile flashed on Yahiro's face, but Megumi's words struck him.

"Good… morning, girl… girlfriend." Yahiro stuttered in a sudden bout of affection unleashed at him the first thing in the morning. It was definitely more harrowing and mind-boggling than receiving news on a global financial crisis, but it was nevertheless tingly and fuzzy to the heart.

A muffled yawn followed briefly after the clumsy morning greeting. Yahiro's ruffled and unkempt hair was a thrilling sight for Megumi. It made him look more alluring than before with those half-awake smoky eyes. Yahiro rubbed his eyes and smiled wearily as he rested his cheek on the mattress.

"I don't want to go back to work," Yahiro winced.

_So this is how it feels to wake up beside your boyfriend.  
We are both completely defenseless.  
It's amazing and surreal._

"I can stay beside you, while you work," Megumi comforted him and gave his hand a playful shake. She hasn't let go of that hand yet.

"So lose this game for me, will you?" Megumi begged sincerely.

Yahiro pecked Megumi's fingers and let go. As he went to fetch his phone, which had three previously missed calls, Megumi saw what he was wearing – a simple white shirt and a pair of dark blue knit pants. Returning with the phone in his right hand, Yahiro climbed into Megumi's bed and slipped under the sheets. Megumi was a little taken aback, but she allowed it to happen anyway. It was her first time experiencing so much skinship in one single day – it's more exhilarating then a freefall bungee jump.

"I win!" The songbird tried to press down her messy hair with her palm, which looked like as if it went through a chemical explosion. It wasn't really helping.

"Yes, you did. What do you want the loser to do?" Yahiro chuckled at how Megumi actually looks like a frizzy lion when she wakes up.

"I want him to work,"

"What? Megumi, I already protested that I don't want to. I don't want to work today," Yahiro leaned his head and nudged against Megumi's shoulder lightly.

Megumi typed niftily on Yahiro's smartphone.

"_Look, I am going to stay in bed with him as he works. _  
_We'll wash up, and then we'll head for an epic lunch together. _  
_How about that?_"

She flashed the screen at Yahiro, who took a couple of seconds to consider the proposal.

"This is going to sound completely wrong, Megumi." Yahiro massages the acupoint between the eyebrows as he sighs aloud.

Megumi tilts her head.

"This will be my first time, doing business on a bed, with you."

Megumi bursts out laughing. Yahiro couldn't hold it any longer and broke into a soft chuckle. Megumi was almost in tears as she embraced her waist and continued to laugh. Yahiro got infected by her laughter and laughed out as well. It has definitely been a long time since he has heard himself laugh uncontrollably in this manner. She had initially wanted to write something, but decides she'll settle for a slow kiss instead. He placed his arm over Megumi and pulled her closer as he pushed the redial button on his smartphone.

"What is it?" Yahiro switched back to his authoritative mode as he spoke to his directors back in Tokyo, his hands reaching out for the notepad by the side table. He smirked a little and started scribbling the following question to Megumi.

" You said, "We'll wash up together". Does that mean we will be showering together later? Wow, I'd love that."

Yahiro couldn't stop giggling at Megumi's reaction to that question – she froze on the spot with her mouth dropped open. He had to do it so quietly because his directors are reporting solemnly over on the phone. It was excruciating to hold the laughter inside him, but it was all worth that little ounce of pain.

_つづく_

* * *

どーもです!  
I finally got this chapter up! :)  
Had a lot of inspiration this week, so yeah this chapter took six separate nights to finish writing.  
I hope you love it! It was meant as a late White's Day gift, though haha. One month after Megumi's birthday!

This chapter is separated into three sections, I believe you can tell from the line breaks.  
There are three time frames in this chapter - the night before, Megumi's reflections and the morning that they both woke up to.

I am still here, and I am still writing about Yahiro and Megumi.  
Although I have to apologise that I couldn't post as frequently as the other writers. T_Tv  
I am, however, ever thankful for your sweet reviews. :D

Look forward to the next Yahiro chapter!

xoxo  
ゆる凛


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